Christmas Artist Open House - Southfields / Wandsworth

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“100 Plant Gifts This Christmas” - Christmas Artist Open House – Southfields / Wandsworth – Vera Blagev London Abstract Artist

This December, for one weekend only, London-based abstract artist Vera Blagev is opening the doors to her home in Southfields (Wandsworth) to showcase her latest artworks.  Vera’s home will be open to visitors all weekend from 10 am to 6 pm both Saturday December 3rd and Sunday December 4th. To celebrate the Christmas season, Vera is gifting 100 plants to the first 100 visitors to her artist open house.  These plants are cuttings that Vera has taken over the past several months from her own London garden, from her favourite houseplants, and from her mother in law's garden on the Isle of Wight. 

Vera’s love of plants is a strong influence on her artworks.  Inspired by her passion for nature, Vera’s artwork often features scenes of dramatic landscapes, stormy seascapes, and fantastically oversized flowers.  Rooted in her deep respect of nature, Vera’s love of flowers and plants is an endless source of inspiration for her artwork.  Some of Vera’s series of artworks, in particular her brand new “Blue Reverie” series, her “Polypetalous” series, and her “Not Another Rose” series focus on the flower as a study of colour, form and composition.  “What I love about flowers is their beauty and their ability to inspire,” says Vera.  “But flowers are so much more than beautiful objects that we can love and cherish – they contain the whole life cycle within them.  They are the mother, the father, and the child.  Growing flowers and plants from seed still fills me with such amazement and wonder – how one little seed is able to create a beautiful plant!” 

As a keen gardener, Vera is excited share her love of plants with her visitors and to get in the Christmas spirit by gifting 100 plant cuttings to her first 100 visitors.  She has spent the past few months taking cuttings and collecting self-seeded plants from her own back garden (which is based entirely on containers) as well as her mother in law’s garden on the Isle of Wight.  Vera is also a passionate collector of house plants seeking out unusual varieties including the difficult to find Pilea Peperomia (also known as the Chinese Missionary Plant).  “I like to say that I have a second garden in my home,” says Vera, “because I love being surrounded by plants inside my house.  On last count, I had 20 different varieties of plants in my home from the more common to the more unusual.” 

Visitors to Vera’s artist open house will be able to choose their free plant gift from a selection of plants including different types of scented pelargoniums (often known as geraniums), true geraniums (particularly Balkan Cranesbill geranium), lavender (particularly the variety called Lavandula angustifolia Vera), rosemary, and others. “Like many other gardeners, I love taking cuttings of my plants to share with others,” says Vera.  “Their ability to adapt to the environment, to survive harsh conditions, and to propagate themselves through so many methods really fascinates me.  And I would love to nurture my relationship with my friends, neighbours and my community through gifting cuttings of my plants.”

Visitors to Vera’s Christmas open house event can expect a warm welcome, some festive inspired nibbles and drinks, and a display of Vera’s artworks, including her original abstract landscape and floral artworks, limited edition prints, and even handmade jewellery.  Over the past couple of months, Vera has working on a brand new series of flower and plant inspired artworks using acrylic paint on canvas.  Part of her new "Blue Reverie" series, these original artworks feature oversize flowers in various shades of blue.  Through painting flowers as larger than life protagonists of their own story, Vera elevates flowers from humble still lives and bouquets to bold centrepieces.  The resulting paintings are full of colour and texture - perfect for a statement artwork. 

Entry to this event is free. Families and children are welcome.  Vera’s home is just a 5 minute walk from Southfields tube station on the District Line, a 10 minute walk from Earlsfield Station, and very close to the Southfields high street which has some great restaurants and pubs.